From the You Can't Make This Shit Up Files

[Content Note: Reproductive rights.]

The Office on Women's Health, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, has announced that it is teaming up with franchised women's fitness corporation Curves to promote National Women's Health Week, despite the fact that Curves' founder and CEO, Gary Heavin, is virulently anti-choice.

Kate Sheppard at Mother JonesObama Administration Partners With Anti-Abortion Magnate's Gym:
Heavin, a born-again Christian, has been outspoken about his opposition to abortion over the years, and has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations that support so-called crisis pregnancy centers that aim to discourage women from seeking abortions. "There's nothing healthy about abortion," he told Today's Christian in a 2004 interview. "I'm not afraid to tell the truth." He was also critical of abortion in an interview with Women's eNews in 2004 that also noted Curves was one of the first companies to pull support from Susan G. Komen for the Cure over the grants it provides to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings...

Curves also drew some attention in 2009 for partnering with the American Family Association's radio programs, a pro-life and anti-gay group.
And yet, the Obama administration evidently believes Heavin's a great partner with which to promote women's health, listing Curves as an official partner for National Women's Health Week.
The partnership includes events to "educate and inform women on a variety of health and wellness topics" at Curves locations that HHS will promote on its website and its Facebook and Twitter feeds. Curves is also providing coupons for free one-month memberships to anyone who attends a NWHW events, and providing free publicity for the week in the franchise's in-house magazine, Diane. The agreement also designates May 17 as "National Curves Day," which HHS will promote in its materials.
So, just to be clear, the Obama administration is officially promoting a corporation run by a man who donates large amounts of his corporate profits to anti-choice organizations, under the auspices of "women's health."
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for comment at press time.
I'll bet not.

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